You can check the status of your federal tax refund online at the IRS website as long as you didn't file an amended or corrected return. If you filed an amended or corrected return, you will have to call the IRS directly for information about your refund.

Checking Your Refund Online

If you filed a plain vanilla return with none of the bells and whistles of amendments or corrections, checking your refund will be easy. Simply go to IRS.gov and click on "Check on Your Refund" under "Online Services." This will take you to an information page about the "Where's My Refund" program. Click on "Where's My Refund?" A form will appear asking for your Social Security number, your filing status and your refund amount. Enter this information, click "Submit," and the program will tell you the status of your refund.

Possible Complications

If you filed your taxes online using the IRS's e-file system, you should be able to check the status of your refund within three days. However, if you filed your taxes through postal mail, you need to wait at least three weeks before trying to check on your refund status online.

Checking Your Refund for an Amended Tax Return

If you make a mistake regarding your income, your filing status or your deductions while filing your taxes, you need to file an "amended tax return" to correct the error. If you've filed an amended tax return, you cannot look up the status of your refund online. In this case, you need to wait at least eight weeks after filing your amended return before you receive your refund. If you haven't received your refund by that time, you can check on your refund status by calling the IRS directly at 800-829-1040.

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IRS: Where's My Refund